History of Rome, Volume VIII: Books 28-30, Libri 28-30

Copertina anteriore
Harvard University Press, 2021 - 416 pagine

Rome, from the beginning.

Livy (Titus Livius), the great Roman historian, was born at Patavium (Padua) in 64 or 59 BC, where after years in Rome he died in AD 12 or 17. Livy's history, composed as the imperial autocracy of Augustus was replacing the republican system that had stood for over five hundred years, presents in splendid style a vivid narrative of Rome's rise from the traditional foundation of the city in 753 or 751 BC to 9 BC and illustrates the collective and individual virtues necessary to achieve and maintain such greatness.

Of its 142 books, conventionally divided into pentads and decades, we have 1-10 and 21-45 complete, and short summaries (periochae) of all the rest except 41 and 43-45; 11-20 are lost, and of the rest only fragments and the summaries remain.

The third decade constitutes our fullest surviving account of the momentous Second Punic (or Hannibalic) War, featuring a famous gallery of leaders Roman, Carthaginian, and Greek, all memorably drawn. It comprises two recognizable pentads: Books 21-25 narrate the run-up to conflict and Rome's struggles in its first phase, with Hannibal dominant; Books 26-30 relate Rome's revival and final victory, as the focus shifts to Scipio Africanus.

This edition of the third decade, which replaces the original Loeb editions by B. O. Foster (Books 21-22) and Frank Gardner Moore (Books 23-30), offers a text based on the critical editions by John Briscoe (Books 21-25) and P. G. Walsh (Books 26-30), a fresh translation, and ample annotation fully current with modern scholarship.

Informazioni sull'autore (2021)

Very little is known about the life of Livy (Titus Livius) other than that he was born in Patavium (modern-day Padua) and lived most of his life in Rome. It is clear from his writings that he was familiar with ancient Greek and Latin literature and was, in fact, influenced by Cicero. Although Livy produced several works on philosophy and literary criticism, his masterpiece and life work of 40 years was his "History of Rome", which covers a vast sweep of Rome's history from its origins to Livy's own time. Of the original 142 books that made up the work, only 35 are extant---Books 1--10 and 20--45---which treat the years 753--293 b.c. and 218--167 b.c. Fragments of others, however, do remain, and summaries exist of all but one. When he wrote the history, Livy, who extolled the virtues of discipline, piety, and patriotism, believed that Rome was in a state of decline and moral decay. Wealth and luxury, he wrote, had led to "the dark dawning of our modern day, when we can neither endure our vices nor face the remedies needed to cure them." According to modern standards, Livy was neither an impressive nor critical historian. He perpetuated many inaccuracies. This, however, does not greatly minimize the value of his writing. His acumen lay in his vibrant style, his keen eye for character, and his gift for dramatic composition. J. C. Yardley is Professor of Classics, Emeritus, at the University of Ottawa.

Informazioni bibliografiche

TitoloHistory of Rome, Volume VIII: Books 28-30, Libri 28-30
Volume 8 di History of Rome, Volume VIII
Volume 381 di Loeb Classical Library
The Loeb classical library. Latin authors
AutoreLivy
CuratoreJohn Yardley
tradotto daJohn Yardley
EditoreHarvard University Press, 2021
ISBN0674997395, 9780674997394
Lunghezza416 pagine
  
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